Collin Sexton: The Rookie of the Year candidate no one is talking about

Collin Sexton was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

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Written ByKyle Irving

On June 8, 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers were defeated by the
Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals for the second year in a
row. This time, the defending champs only needed four games to take
out LeBron James and co., leaving James' future with the franchise
in jeopardy as he entered the 2018 NBA offseason as an unrestricted
free agent.

On June 21, 2018, the Cavaliers selected Collin Sexton with the
eighth overall pick in the NBA Draft. In his first interview after
shaking commissioner Adam Silver's hand, Sexton had a
clear-cut message for the Cavs' star entering free agency:
"LeBron let's do it. I saw you needed that one extra piece this
past season. Let's get back to The Finals, let's do it."

It wasn't long before a rookie anxious to become the missing
piece on an NBA Finals team saw his role for his first season
change right before his eyes. On July 2, 2018, just 12 days after
the draft, LeBron signed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles
Lakers. At that very moment, Sexton went from being a third-option
rookie just filling a role to the floor general and secondary
scorer to All-Star forward Kevin Love.

Immediately, this has the feeling of something Cleveland has
seen before. In 2010 when LeBron signed with the Miami Heat, the
Cavs were left with a depleted roster that won 19 games the
following season. In the 2011 NBA Draft, they selected Kyrie
Irving, a 19-year-old kid who was called on to clean up the mess
left behind from James' departure. Irving was a 6-foot-3, 190-pound
do-it-all type guard who had the talent to make an immediate impact
at the NBA level.

He continued to show that type of domination in the NBA Summer
League Playoffs, where fans got to see what "Bull Mode" is all
about. Through the first three rounds, Sexton was averaging 20
points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, carrying Cleveland
to the semi-finals.

In the semis against LeBron's Laker young-guns, Sexton almost
pulled off the upset with an insane 27-point performance that had
everyone buzzing about this kid's potential.

The situation Sexton inherits is far-and-away better than the
fire that Irving was thrown in to. Kyrie was unable to lead his
team to a successful year in his first season, but he still took
home the Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie First Team honours.

Who's to say that Sexton can't do all the above?

Irving joined a roster that had two total All-Star appearances
in a time where the conferences were not nearly as lopsided as they
are today. Sexton joins Love, a five-time All-Star, among other
veterans who have played in countless big games, playing in an
Eastern Conference that is as open it has been since LeBron entered
the NBA.

He is tied for the third-best odds to win the 2018-19 Rookie of
the Year. At +750, he and New York Knicks guard Kevin Knox trail
Phoenix Suns centre DeAndre Ayton (+375) and Dallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (+350). He has higher odds than other big names like
Marvin Bagley III (+900), Jaren Jackson Jr. (+1100), Trae Young
(+1100) and Wendell Carter Jr. (+1500) who were all drafted before
him.

In the annual NBA rookie's survey, Sexton and Doncic tied for
"who will be the 2018-19 Kia Rookie of the Year?" each receiving 18
percent of the votes. It's clear Sexton's draftmates think highly
of the Alabama-product, as he tied for third in "best career" and
"best playmaker" voting and tied for fifth in being the draft
classes' best defender.

With Doncic, Ayton, Bagley and Jackson Jr. playing in the brutal
Western Conference, it's unlikely that any of their teams could
crack the top-eight spots. Knox will have a great opportunity to
solidify his rep in New York, but without Kristaps Porzingis, the
talent around him doesn't match Cleveland's. Young has the chance
to own the spotlight in Atlanta but the Hawks are still a ways away
from becoming a playoff team. Carter Jr. is in an intriguing
situation with all the young talent in Chicago, but the Bulls still
seem to be a year or so away from seriously competing in the
East.

Yes, all of these players are capable of having breakout rookie
seasons, but if Sexton were to have a breakout year as well as a
competitive team, that could put him over the top.

The Cavaliers are projected for 30.5 wins, five shy of the eight
seed in the Eastern Conference based on Vegas odds. Hear me out:
Sexton flirts with the 19 points per game he averaged in college
and the Summer League. He increases his three-plus assists per game
surrounded by better talent than he's ever played with before.
And he helps the Cavs compete with teams like the Detroit
Pistons and Charlotte Hornets who will also be fighting for the
final playoff spots in the East.

Does all of that sound that ridiculous? It sounds like
a Rookie of the Year campaign to me.

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of the NBA or its clubs.